Honour-Based violence

Honour crimes' include forced marriage, abduction and homicide. These crimes now come under the definition of domestic violence as a result of the government's definition of domestic violence being extended to include acts perpetrated by extended family members as well as intimate partners.

Professionals involved with cases of forced marriage should bear in mind that the response of mediation can be extremely dangerous. Refusal to go through with a forced marriage has been linked in the past to murder of the non-consenting, usually female, person and young people have been murdered while mediation is ongoing.

The victim should always be interviewed on their own and consideration given to the need for immediate protection and placement away from the family. Never allow the young person to have unsupervised contact with their family even if they request it.

Karma Nirvana Honour Network Helpline

Karma Nirvana is a national charity working to support victims of forced marriage and honour-based violence. They run a 24/7 helpline for victims of forced marriage and honour-based violence as well as for professional sand others workign to support the victims. All call-handlers have experience of assessing risk in cases of forced marriage and honour-based violence.

To get free and confidential help call 0800 5999 247

The Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) operates a public helpline to provide advice and support to victims of forced marriage as well as to professionals dealing with cases. The assistance provided ranges from simple safety advice, through to aiding a victim to prevent their unwanted spouse moving to the UK (‘reluctant sponsor’ cases), and, in extreme circumstances, to rescues of victims held against their will overseas.